


Mana & Mayhem

by Nandireya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fantasy AU, Gen, Post Season 6, RPGing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 17:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15124337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nandireya/pseuds/Nandireya
Summary: It’s a long way back to Earth when you don’t have access to a teludav...





	Mana & Mayhem

“So, tell me again, what exactly are we doing?” Keith asked, absently rubbing at the right side of his face with a knuckle while Hunk and Pidge set up a large circular table with a holographic grid built into its surface in the shadow of the Black Lion. They had been travelling for what seemed like weeks, and though the Lions could fly without them physically at the helm for a time, they had all agreed to stop for a break so as not to succumb to cabin fever.

“Setting up for Monsters and Mana.” Pidge told him as she plugged a power conduit into the table’s base. The checkerboard surface flicked, a ripple of electric blue light rippling across the glass-like tabletop.

“Which is...?” He prompted for more information.

“It’s a game.” Lance explained, leaving the tech-heads to their work. “You never played games when you were a kid?”

“This may come as a surprise to you, Lance.” Keith said flatly. “But I didn’t really have many friends when I was young.”

“Really?” Lance put a hand to his chest, his face a mask of feigned shock. “I had no idea!”

“It’s a very long way to your Earth, Nu...” Coran’s usual numerical naming died on his lips as he looked at the Red and Blue paladins standing side by side. There had been an obvious reversal in their height difference recently, he would need to update his mental files. “...ow, young paladin. No better way to fill in our down time than with a simulated adventurous escapade.”

“It is also a lot of fun.” Allura beamed.

“It’s more than that.” Hunk chimed in. “As Shiro...um...the other...the...um...kinda Shiro...?” He tapped the tips of his forefingers together nervously. “Um...well...it encourages creativity and problem solving and teamwork and since you kind of haven’t actually been part of the team for a while...”

Keith arced a brow at his fumbling. It was obvious that Hunk found it a difficult subject to bring up, but he was right. Keith had been away for a long time, far longer for him that it had been for them. Though they had worked perfectly fine as a unit in the heat of battle they had not had anytime to re-bond as a team, or as friends. He let out a deep sigh, pausing from his cheek-rubbing long enough to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t know.” He frowned. “Do we really have time for this?” They’d been travelling for so long and Earth didn’t seem any closer. And he was worried about Shiro. He hadn’t improved much since Allura had pulled his essence from Black and transferred it to the clone body. True, he had personally inflicted a fair amount of damage on the body, and vice versa, but he was well on the mend, why was Shiro still so exhausted? Not for the first time he found himself wishing for the Castle and its healing pods.

“Have some fun with your friends, Keith.” Krolia said, taking a firm grip on his wrist and pulling it away from the reddened irritation of his newly acquired scar. “And stop scratching.” She said, her mother genes kicking in. “I know burns get itchy, but you’re impeding the healing process.”

Lance grinned, obviously amused at him being chastised by his mother.

“Fine.” He conceded, taking a seat opposite Pidge who was placing small effigies on the table. “How do we play this thing.” He didn’t notice Lance’s grin disappear as Allura took the seat beside him.

“You have to make a character.” Allura began, reaching out to pick up one of the small statuettes on the table, a tiny elfin archer with more than a passing resemblance to the princess herself. While she spoke, Lance circled around the table, approaching her other side. Before he could get there however, there was a bright flash of light and the space was filled with a mass of deep midnight and bright starlight coloured fur.

’ _Wolf blocked.’_ He pouted. The creature looked at him, slowly blinking its golden eyes. _‘Terrific.’_

He plopped down heavily next to Pidge and tried not to glare at Keith or the way Allura smiled at him while she continued explaining the mechanics of the game. First it was Lotor, with his pretty face and fancy words and overall princelyness. Now it was Keith with his sweepy hair and his cool scar and his tee shirt suddenly several sizes too small. How was he supposed to make an impression on the princess when he had to compete with those two?

If it even _WAS_ a competition? Lotor was well and truly out of the picture, and Keith? Was he even interested in Allura that way? He sat back, hands behind his head, the smile returning to his face. Keith had never shown the slightest inkling of intent towards Allura. But, he frowned, there was that time they ran away together in the middle of the night, spent so much time together, just the two of them. He looked up as Allura laughed, saw Keith smile.

‘ _He smiles now!?’_

And at Allura no less! Of course he was interested. How could he not be? She was perfect!

The wolf fixed him with an unwavering stare. Was the damn thing reading his mind?

‘ _You don’t have to look so damn smug about it.’_ He pouted, baulking when it lowered its head to rest against Allura’s thigh as soon as the thought crossed his mind. The princess absently scratched it between the ears.

“This one’s mine.” Pidge said suddenly, laying a finger on her game piece as Allura finished covering the basics. “I’m Meklava, a dwarf Warrior.”

“Small, strong, not to be messed with?” Keith arched a brow. “So you’re playing yourself?” He teased. She grinned in response.

“I’m Block.” Hunk said. “Sorcerer.”

“You’re playing against type, then?”

“Well, yeah.” Hunk nodded. “I thought that was kinda the point.”

Keith looked to Lance expectantly, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. Pidge elbowed him in the side.

“What?” He questioned, a little more tersely than the youngest paladin deserved.

“We’re telling Keith about our characters.” She explained, gesturing towards the board. “He’s a thief.”

“I am _NOT_!” Lance protested. “I’m a ninja assassin!”

“So you’re playing against type too.” Keith surmised. Lance bristled and was about to say something but he could see no malice in Keith’s face, especially when he reached out to pick up the remaining figure.

“This one is Shiro’s.” He said softly, more an observation than a question.

“Yeah.” Pidge nodded. “Kind of...”

“Like he was kinda Shiro.” Lance added.

“He acted like Shiro...” Keith said as he turned the tiny effigy around in his hands. “Thought like him...felt like him...had all his memories...” He’d certainly known which buttons to press during their battle. A younger Keith would have fallen victim to his taunts, let his emotions, his pain, his rage, take hold. A younger Keith would have lost that fight and the universe would have lost its greatest defender. It almost had anyway. “He was more than _kind_ of Shiro.” He looked at the figure’s face. “He had us believing he was Shiro because he didn’t know he wasn’t.”

He frowned.

“So what kind of character was he playing?” He took in the armour, the shield, the sword. “A knight?”

“A paladin.” Pidge rolled her eyes slightly. “He always played a paladin.”

“Sounds about right.” Keith smiled putting the figure back on the table. “So, you’ve got a pretty diverse selection of character types.” He noted.

“Indeed.” Coran nodded. “The most effective way to play the game is to have a variety of skill sets in order to overcome any obstacles you come up against.”

“You mean any obstacles you come up with.” Lance snorted.

“As Lore Master it’s my job to keep the story engaging.” Coran sniffed. “Have you considered what type you’d like to play?” He asked Keith. “We already have a Barbarian...” he gestured to Pidge. “...a sorcerer...” he swept his hand towards Hunk.

“A thief.” Pidge smirked at Lance.

“Ninja!” He corrected.

“Technically, a rogue.” Coran informed. “And a Ranger.”

“It’d be pointless to double up.” Keith mused. “What other types are there?”

“Well...” Coran began, counting off on his fingers. “...there’s bard...cleric...druid...”

“Like those creepy guys that hang out with Haggar?” Hunk interrupted.

“Yeah...that’s a no.” Keith agreed. He had too many not fond memories of those guys.

“...fighter...monk...warlock...wizard...”

“Three guesses which one he goes for.” Lance leaned in and whispered at Pidge.

“Or you could be a paladin.” Allura smiled, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

“Nah.” He shook his head. “Shiro might want to play when he’s feeling better. I’ll leave that one for him.”

Coran handed a small tablet to Keith. “You can find out their abilities, strengths and weaknesses on this. As soon as you make your selection and create your character we can begin.”

“So this is where you all disappeared to.” A soft voice interjected. The group turned as one to the sound as Romelle approached. “Shiro is resting comfortably.” She continued. “But he remains quite weak from his ordeals, but I feel...” she trailed off at the sight of the table they were collected around.

“Monsters and Mana?” She exclaimed. “Bandor and I played this all the time when we were young.” Her face was a mixture of joy and sadness at the memory of her lost brother.

“You wanna join us?” Hunk invited.

“Oh, I couldn’t.” She shook her head slightly. “I don’t want to intrude...”

“You’re one of us now.” Lance smiled at her. “We should get to know each other better.”

“And you can help balance out the gender differences.” Pidge added. “We can do a guys verses gals thing.”

“But the game is normally played with a single group of adventurers.” She frowned as she took a seat between Keith and Hunk, taking the tablet Coran offered her. She began to quickly make her selections to create her character.

“It is...it will be...” Pidge looked at Keith as he scrolled through information on his tablet. “As soon as blade boy gets his butt in gear and creates his character.”

“Yeah. What’s taking you so long?” Lance grumbled. “I thought you were gut instincts, rush in without a plan, guy. Just weapon up your fighter and let’s get on with it!”

Keith looked over the top of the tablet, a wicked glint in his eyes, a mischievous smirk on his lips. They thought they knew him so well. His fingers began to dance over the smooth surface as he picked traits and items and abilities for his little pseudo-self.

“Okay.” He said finally. “Let’s do this.”

 


End file.
